Draft-gear.



E. W. WEBB.

DRAFT GEAR.

, APPLICATION FILED JAILZB, 1909f RENEWED MAR. 29, 1910. 1,004,5 1 1 Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inf]

B. W. WEBB. DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.26, 19011. RENEWED MAR. 29, 1910.

1,004,51 1 Patented pt. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnwm w. wear, or can PARK,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

I THE FAB-LOW DRAFT GEAR COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

DRAFT-GEAR.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Application filed January 28, 1809, Serial 110.4743. Renewed March 29, 1910. Serial No. 552,287.

To all whom it may comem:

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. WEBB, a citizen of the United States, residin at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Draft-Gear, of which the ollowing is a specification.

My invention relates in eneral to draft gear for railroad cars, an more particularly to the spring type of draft gear.

At the present time, the usual means emloyed for operatively connectmg the drawbar with the draft gear comprises a yoke extending around the draft gear and riveted at its end to the top and bottom of the inner end of the draw-bar. This connecting means is open to the objection that the rivets often shear of, and to the further objection that in order to remove the draft gear from a car the draw-bar must also be removed. In order to avoid these objections to the use of a connecting yoke, side links have been connected to the draw-bar by a key which may be withdrawn so as to permit the removal of the draft gear without detaching the draw-bar from the car. In this side link type of draft gear, when two sets of springs are employed, it has been necessary to arrange them in-vertical ahnement, owing to the lack of practical means for slmultaneously operating the springs when ara transverse sectional view.

ranged in tandem. In many constructions of cars, it has heretofore been impossible to use the side link type of draw gear as there is insufficient space to permit the two springs to be arranged in vertical alinement. 1 The primary object of my invention is to provide a side link draft gear in which the springs may be located in tandem and simultaneousl and bu' ng strains.

A further object of m rovide an improved dra gear which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient use.

invention will be more fully described heremafter with reference to the accompanying drawin s, in which the same is illustrated as em odied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a draft ear, the adjacent portions of a car being s own in connection therewith. Fig. 2, an upwardly with respect to Fig 1. Fig. 3,

ig. 4, a perinvention is to compressed under both pulling under plan view, looking spective view of one of the followers. Fi 5, a perspective view showing the other si e of the follower. Fi 6, a perspective view of one of the sidelmks, and Fig. 7, a perspective view of one of the keys.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference characters A, A indicate portions of the center sills of a car.

.1 iteference letter A indicates the car end S! Reference characters B and B indicate the draft timbers which are shown as consisting of channel beams. O and C indicate cheek plates secured to the inner surfaces of the draft beams and between which the draft gear is interposed.

D indicates a draw-bar.

The above described parts do not in themselves constitute the novelty of my invention, as they are usually employed in connection with draft gear for operativel connecting the car coupler to the car rame. The a ove arts are, however, illustrated and describe in order that the construction and operation of my invention will be fully understood. It will be obvious that my improved draft gear is not limited in its application to railroad cars comprising the specific parts above described, but may be vused in connection with other specific forms of cooperating parts for operatively applying the same to a railroad car.

Reference characters E and E indicate side links each of which is provided with three elongated slots to be engaged by transverse keys. A key F passes through the alined slots in the corresponding ends of the links E and E and throu h the slot in the rear end of the draw-bar wfiich is interposed between the ends of the links. The len ths of the slots in the links and draw-bar wfiich the key F en ages are such as to permit no relative play between the draw-bar and the links. F indicates a second ke which passes through the alined intermediate slots in the two links, the slots being of such length as to permit no play between the key and the links. F desi nates a third key which engages the aline slots in the inner ends of the links, the slots being longer than the width of the key so as to ermit a relative longitudinal movement 0 the key and links. 7

G and G indicate a pair of followers be tween which is interposed a coiled spring '11. The surface of each of the followers which is engaged by the corresponding end of the spring is provided with a stud g which extends within the spring, and is also provided with, curved ribs g" which i partiall surround the end of the spring, the stu and ribs serving to. s'ecurelyseat I the end of the spring against-the follower. Projecting laterally from the opposite side the follower Gr in a similar manner freely straddle the side links and rest upon the shoulders 0 0 on the cheek plate. G and Gr indicate a similar pair of followers between which is interposed a coiled spring H The spaced side lugs of the followers Gr and Gr also freely straddle the side links and rest upon the shoulders 0 0 and 0', a,

respectively, on the cheek plates. Each of the followers onits surface opposite to that with which the adjacent spring engages is provided with two lugs g spaced apart a distance to permit one of the transverse keys to freely be received between them; It will i be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the key F is received between the pairs of'lugs -9 on the followers Gr and G while the corresponding lugs on the follower G receive between them the key F Each of the keys "F, F and F extend through elongated slots in the cheek plates and draft beams, cotter pins f, or other similar fastening devices, being provided in the ends of the keys to prevent their accidentallateral disengage- .45 ment from'the draft sills.

The operation of li y improved draft gear is as follows: When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, a pulling strain exerted upon the draw-bar D effects a direct pull upon the side links E and E which in turn exerts a direct pull upon the transverse keys F and F The pull upon the key F moves the follower G toward the follower G, thereby compressing the spring H,

owing to the stops 0, 0 preventing a forward movement of the follower G. A simultaneous forward movement is imparted to the follower Gr by the key F thereby compressing the spring H owing to the follower G being prevented from forward movement through engagement with the stops c 0 on the cheek plates. When the draw-bar is subjected to a buffing strain, 'any inward movement of the draw-bar efi'ects a similar inward movement It will be observed that the, elongate of the follower G, owing to the direct contact of the inner end of the draw-bar with such follower. Such movement of the fol-' lower G compresses the spring H, owing. to the follower Gr being retained against 7 inward movement through engagement with the stopso 0 on the-cheek plates. Simul-' 'taneously with the inward movement of the follower -G,a similar inward movement is imparted to' the follower G ,.through the medium of the side links and E and the-.transverse key FF. Such movement of the follower G compresses the spring H owing tothe follower Gr being retained against inward movement through engageg0 ment with the stop o c on the cheek plates.

slots in the inner ends of the side links, through which the key F passes, permit the inward movement of the links.

When it isdesired to detach the draft gear from the car for any purpose, such, for instance, as to make repairs, it is merely necessary to remove the cotter pins f. from the corresponding ends of the transverse keys and to then remove the keys, whereupon the side links, followers and'interposed springs may be withdrawn downwardly from engagement with the draw-bar and cheek plates. The draft gear may be readily re-' 4 placed into operative position by an up-,- ward movement and a re-insertion of the transverse keys through the alined slots the draft sills, cheek plates'and links, the forward key also being passed through the slot in the draw-bar.

By my improvement, the advantages of a side link draft gear arerendered available in connection with tandem springs, thereby also attaining the advantages of tandem springs '105 over sprlngs arranged in vertical alinement.

'While I have described more or less in detail the specific structure in which I have illustrated and described my invention as embodied, yet it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited thereto, but as covering other specific structures and arrangement of parts which may come within the scope of -my improvement as defined by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with the draft members, of cheek plates on the inner surfaces of the draft members, said plates having inwardly projecting transversely alined 'pairs 12 of stops thereon; a draw bar'; two pairs of followers interposed between the cheek plates; two springs, one being interposed between the followers of each pair and movtively to the draft sills.

' f the adjacent pairs of stops; and transverse the sole support for the draft gear; and resurfaces of the draft members and having mg the front ends of said links to the draw a 2. The combination with the draft memthe draw bar; two pairs of followers at the 'relativelyto the draft sills.

pairs of stops thereon; a draw bar; arallel 'movable with the links and'extending between the adjacent intermediate followers; and a third transverse key movably engaging the ends of the elongated slots m e inner end of the links and also on adjacent surface of the inner fo owe bers, of cheek plates secured to the inner surfaces of thedraft members, said plates having inwardly projecting transversely alined pairs of stops thereon; a draw bar; parallel links secured at their front'ends to sides of which said links are freely movable, said followers having spaced side lugls above and below the links which engage t e stops on the cheek plates; two springs, one. interposed between .the followers of each air and movably retaining the followers against keys connecting the links for transmitting tothe followers movements of the draw bar 3. The combination with the draft members, of cheek plates on the inner surfaces of the draft members, said plates having inwardly projecting transversely alined pairs of stops thereon; a draw bar; two pairs of followers interposed between the cheek plates; two springs, one inter osed between the followers of each pair'an movably .retainin the followers against the adjacent pair. 0 stops; side links secured to the draw ar; removable transverse keys connecting the links for transmitting to the followers movements of the draw bar relatively to the draft sills,said keys projectin at their ends through elongated slots in t e cheek plates and draft members and constituting taining devices for preventing accidental transverse motions o the keys out of engagement with the slots in the cheek plates and draft members.

4. The combination with the draft members, of cheek plates secured to the. inner inwardly projecting 'transverselyalined links having elongated slots at their ends and secured attheir front ends to the draw bar; two mm of followers at the sides of which sai links are freely movable, said followers having s aced side lugs above and the cheek plates; two springs, one interposed between the followers of each pair and movablyretaining the followers against the adjacent pair of stops; a transverse key unitbar; a second transverse key connecting and ging the for the 5. a side link tandem spring gear, a

spaced lugs at each side thereof adapted to engage the stops on cheek plates and between which lu the links freelvgass. 7. The comblnation with the draft gear embracin links each link having three slotswith a ey within the middle slots of each link and movable with the links in both directions, and means for detachably connecting the draft gear with both the draw bar and draft members consisting of transverse movable keys, whereby by the removal of said keys the draft gear ma be removed from the draft members wi out detaching the draw bar therefrom.

8. The combination in a draft gear, of two draft members each having slots; slotted cheek plateshaving slots and stops; cushioning means; links with slots; followers having spaced In at each side thereof In a s otte draw bar; and'ke s located assa e of links 1. between the saidraw bar and draft members, of a tandem spring within the slots of the draft mem rs, links and draw bar; the key within the slots at the central 'ortions of the links being of the same wi th as the length of the slots and closel fitting the slots so as to move rearwar y therewith in bufiing and forwardly therewith in drawing. I

9. In a tandem spring draft ear, the combination with the draft mem ers each having a slot, of a ke movable both forwardly and rearwar ymwithin the slots; stops on the draft mem rs adjacent to the key; two followers havin spaced lugs and engafi'in the stops and a apted to be moved by t e ey alternately one forwardly and the other rearwardly; a front follower; a rear follower; cushioning means between the followers a draw bar; and means located between the spaced lug transmitting motion om the draw bar to the followers. v

-In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

v EDWIN W. WEBB. Witnesses:

Gno. L. Wmxmson, Henry A. Puma. 

